From the memoirs of Stan Saran I grew up on the southern end of Miami Beach in what is now the very popular and very trendy South Beach (SoBe) Art Deco area. My Art Deco style house, on beautiful Sunset Bay, was located only a few blocks from elegant Lincoln Road and the then not-so-elegant Ocean Drive area, now called DECO DRIVE. By the late 1940’s, the many beautiful Art Deco hotels along Ocean Drive had fallen into disrepair and the area had become seedy, although it did get a lift up when Frank Sinatra came there in 1959 to ... Read More »

Coming to Veteran’s Park on January 8 will be a unique look at the entities responsible for keeping us all safe. When you put everyone from the military to local hospitals in one park, accompanied by the bells and whistles they use to get the job done, islanders of all ages will get a hands-on view, that’s what Marco Island Police Captain Dave Baer hopes. Bear helped coordinate the event after realizing that he’d never seen the different agencies pulled together to demonstrate the big picture. “This will be a great way for people to walk around and see and ... Read More »

A section of the new potable water line for Isles of Capri is first tapped for service then lowered into position. The first half of the project to replace the old Isles of Capri potable water lines with larger lines was completed recently and Phase two has begun. Phase two will be done in two parts. The first part runs from south of the fire station to south of Tahiti Circle. The main line goes in first. Then the nine side roads are connected. Installation of larger lines to these nine roads should be completed in the Spring of 2011. ... Read More »

During the week of December 20th, 2010, the City proudly unveiled a new on-line face of Marco Island. This represents a major renovation to our Internet presence with an emphasis on customer service and friendliness for our residents. Visitors should find the new site intuitive, refreshing and easy to navigate. Use the new “How Do I…” menu to quickly locate frequently requested information or services. The new website will again allow visitors to subscribe to e-Notifications, which sends automatic e-mails containing information regarding public meetings, news, and calendar events to the subscriber’s inbox. If you are already subscribed to this ... Read More »

by Val Simon The second grade teaching team at TBE Second graders at Tommie Barfield Elementary are kept very busy by their teachers. In addition to learning ‘new math,’ which many students enjoy, the students carry out their typical lesson plans. But what is typical? For this busy group, the teachers spent part of the last quarter teaching the children about the first Thanksgiving. Not only the events that led to the first Thanksgiving, but also what types of foods and crafts were made during that period in time and how difficult life was in general. Students delved into the ... Read More »

by Donna Fiala Would anyone be interested in taking some tours of different County departments? I have scheduled tours of the South Water Treatment Plant located on 951 near the landfill for January 5th from 10 am till noon, the Wastewater Treatment Facility at 10500 Goodlette Rd. N. for February 3rd from 2 pm to 4 pm, the Landfill and Marco Island Recycling Center for February 10th from 9 am to noon, and the Emergency Operations Center on Lely Cultural Blvd. for March 1st from 1 pm to 4 pm (this tour will also include a tour of the South ... Read More »

The City of Marco Island has been receiving calls from concerned citizens and businesses who have been receiving notices from collections companies regarding unpaid fines stemming from Marco Island code enforcement cases or municipal ordinance violations. The notices are being sent on behalf of the Collier County Clerk of Court’s Office due to a state statute change in 2010. The City of Marco Island is not a party to this collections process. The collections notices are being sent for unpaid fines resulting from multiple types of violations that occurred in all parts of Collier County, not just the City of ... Read More »

The Public Relations and Media Communications Specialist, Ryan Schwartz, along with David Delene, Videographer, from Collier County School District, came to Tommie Barfield Elementary recently to film the newest technology in classrooms today, the mimeo, while in use. The film will be edited and used in a program which will air on The Education Channel. Filming took place in Michelle Robau’s kindergarten classroom. Michelle is proficient in her use of the mimeo and assists others on how to incorporate the technology into their lesson plans. The mimeo allows a plain whiteboard to act as a computer touch screen. One example ... Read More »

This year the annual Kiwanis car show will be held February 13, 2011, 10 am-3 pm, at the Marco Healthcare Center. This is the 6th year Kiwanis has run the show and it gets bigger and better with each year. All monies collected from the show go towards children’s programs and scholarships for high school seniors. This year the Lely High School Jazz band will be performing along with guest MC Steve Reynolds. The Italian American Club will be selling home-made pastries and cakes for the second year in a row. The Kiwanis “cooks” will be again cooking hamburgers and ... Read More »

By Joan Kelly Enjoy a night of big band music listening to the Glenn Miller Band live at Lely High School on January 30, 2011. Moonlight Serenade, String of Pearls, In the Mood, all the Miller classics and more. This is a trip down Memory Lane at its best. The concert is all about the students. The Lely students work on ticket sales and will be in the parking area directing traffic. Golf carts driven by band boosters will be available to pick you up. If you need disability parking, there will be spaces set aside. Students and boosters will ... Read More »

The Education Foundation of Collier County has just announced the 2011 Men of Distinction. After a month of open call for nominations, ten (10) men were selected for their extensive philanthropic service for the betterment of the Collier County community. The 2011 Men of Distinction are: Jeffrey Ahren, Rick Borman, Raymond E. Carroll, Don J. Gunther, Alan M. Horton, Edward J. Kant, P.E., Dick Munro, Ned R. Sachs, Dr. George L. Schrenk and John F. Sorey III. Read More »

By Lisa Church On December 7th, The Education Foundation of Collier County hosted a Get On The Bus Roundtable and Reception hosted by the Naples Grande and supported by the Mary Ingram Fund of the Columbus Foundation and Pearson Digital. This event brought together teachers, administrators and parents from all across Collier County, along with high school students, and other community members in conversation about how to better engage parents in the academic success of their children. Each table at the Roundtable incorporated these different viewpoints, and participants explored the following questions: • What strategies are currently used to engage ... Read More »

The Plant Manager at Tommie Barfield Elementary, Gerardo Guzman, has handled the maintenance, repairs and any function related to keeping the school safe and neat for three years. Prior to that, he had 40 years business experience in the construction and real estate industry. His experience allows him to know a good idea when he sees one! So when Principal, Dr. Westberry, showed him a GoPet and said he could try it for a week, he said, “Why not?” TBE has had one ever since. The GoPet is like a mini-Segway, but instead of two wheels, and is much easier ... Read More »

New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past and assess what changes we want to make in the coming year, formulating our New Year’s resolutions. What about children? What sort of resolutions do they make? A few Fifth Graders at TBE shared their resolutions with Coastal Breeze News. It is interesting to note what concern is on a youngster’s mind. Some of these resolutions prove children really do listen to their parents! A few are unsigned. I resolve to do better in school so I will get better grades. I need to do this because I know ... Read More »

Marco Island Foundation for the Arts held its annual Holiday Party for members and guests at the office/gallery in the Esplanade on December 9th. Despite the cold, blustery weather, many friends turned out to enjoy tasty bites and share a cup of cheer – Board Secretary Allie Ellis’ wonderful champagne punch! Some of the revelers included (left to right): Nancy Rhodes, President Sandi Johnson, Mary Ann Sarazen, Board Members Marilyn Wirth, and Allie Ellis. Read More »

These six shots were taken of the full eclipse of the moon, the night of 12/21/10. The moon in the center is in full eclipse and is surrounded by four shots starting from the bottom left where the faint showing of the beginning of the process to the earth shadow causing nearly full coverage by the fourth image. The fifth surrounding photo catches the returning sun. Read More »

By Joan Kelly If you have lost a loved one in the past year this would be a great time to heal and be helped with healing. An invitation is offered to anyone who may have interest to attend the Grief Share program at Marco Lutheran Church. The sessions are offered on Thursdays starting January 6th. Come at 9:30 for fellowship followed by the sessions from 10:00 to 12:00. Each session is self-contained so you can attend as many topics as you find important. It is a 13 week program. There is no charge to attend. The program includes grief ... Read More »

The Marco Island Area Association of Realtors recently installed the new 2011 Officers and Directors during the 35th Annual Installation Banquet held at Hideaway Beach. It was a formal affair sponsored by the Law Offices of William G. Morris, The Kramer Law Firm and Hideaway Beach. Dick Shanahan was master of ceremonies with installing officer, Arlene Carrozza, the 2011 Vice President of District 5. The 2011 slate of officers and directors for the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors are as follows: President: Bill Filbin; President-Elect: Anne McDonald; Vice President: Gerry Rosenblum; Secretary/Treasurer: Ken Gandy; Directors: Dick Shanahan; Mike Boland; ... Read More »

The Marco Bay Yacht Club held their 1st Annual Toys for Tots Christmas Holiday party at the Hideaway Beach Club with 75 members and guests attending. It was a special evening with Reserve Marines John Marsh, Joe Johnson and wife Susan attending. They spoke about the importance of remembering December 7, 1941 and gave a tribute to all the armed services of our great country. This is the 60th year for the Marine Reserves Toys for Tots program. These toys will help more than 3500 children in Collier County enjoy toys for Christmas. It was an honor and privilege to ... Read More »